The Last Pair
by yougottahavefaith
Summary: Phil and Keely are married and twentyfive. In chapter one, Keely surprises Phil, and things go from there! Only rated T because didn't know what else to put. Reviews are greatly appreciated... they make me smile!
1. Chapter 1

Guess who's back… back again! Ha-ha! Yes, I'm back with another story! However, this is a one-shot type thingy and has ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with my last story. So, sit back, relax and enjoy!

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A soft click was heard as Keely closed the front door of her house one day in late August. Her arms were full of bags from a shopping/catch up with Via day at the local Pickford mall. Nope, Keely had never left Pickford, but that doesn't mean she didn't go on to achieve great things. She had followed her heart and become the host of the top news show in the COUNTRY, which was currently filming all episodes in Pickford so she didn't have to travel. She was living in her dream house with her dream man, her husband Phil Diffy. Plus, she had achieved it all by the time she and Phil were just twenty-five! He too had achieved great things. Phil was fulfilling his dream career and living in a gorgeous house with his gorgeous wife Keely Diffy. Yes, for these two, life was excellent.

Phil was in the office on the computer, yet when he heard the door click closed he finished up what he was doing and went downstairs, because he knew Keely would have lots of packages to show him from her day at the mall. As he was walking down the stairs he paused to look at pictures of him and Keely covering the walls. Some even dated back to the H.G. Wells Ladies Choice dance when they were in tenth grade. Phil sighed a small sigh, then proceeded to thunk down the stairs.

In the living room, Keely nervously shifting through the bags full of packages she had bought, making sure she had one special one. Yes, the package was still there.

Phil breezed into the living room, excited as can be. He couldn't wait to here how Via was doing. Keely had mentioned that she and Owen had at one point eloped to Las Vegas, but Keely heard that from some one who heard it from someone, etc.

"Hey babe. How was the mall?" Phil said as he walked over to Keely and gave her a quick smooch.

"It was spectacular! I hadn't seen Vee in forever, it was just great to catch up with her and hear all about what's going on. Did you know she married Owen? And that they have twins on the way? Via said she thinks it's bound to be a boy and a girl, but she said Owen's sure that it's two boys? Vee was so excited!" Keely explained. "And huge. She's due any day now!"

Phil smiled. He was glad that Owen had finally settled down. With Via, though? That's something he never would have expected!

"So Keely, show me what you bought!" Phil said in a mock-girlish tone. Keely smiled and laughed amusedly. Phil was so perfect for her. Then, Keely took a deep breath and sat down on the couch and started unloading boxes and bags.

"Well, I got some Christmas presents for the co-workers." Keely stated, but was quickly interrupted when Phil butted in "Keely, you do know its August, right?"

"Ha-ha Phil! Very funny. Well, you can't be too prepared!" Keely continued. "And I got a couple of cute tops." Keely explained as she pulled them out of the bags and laid them out on the couch for Phil to see.

As Keely continued listing all her purchases, Phil sat down on the couch, knowing this would take a while. "And, I got three pairs of new shoes." Keely stated matter-of-factly, as Phil just shook his head thinking of the credit card bill. "Here are these!" Keely said as she pulled out a pair of black high-heel/sandals with silvery embroidery on the strap.

"And here are these!" Keely smiled and jumped a small perky jump as she drew a pair of sequin-y, sparkly, peach-pink sandals out of the bag. Phil had to smile at these; they were the perfect shoes for Keely. Keely noticed Phil smiling at the shoes and let out a breath of relief; he hadn't caught on how nervous she was.

As Keely sat the second pair of shoes on the coffee table, folded her hands in her lap, and took a deep breath, Phil watched her. When she looked like she was waiting for something to happen, he finally blurted out "Well, didn't you say you had another pair!"

"Oh yes! Those!" Keely replied to him as she leaned over and peered into the bag, looking to the very bottom where the fateful package lay. As she drew this package out and placed it in her lap, Phil noticed how peculiar this package looked. It was much smaller than the other shoe boxes, much too small to hold shoes that fit on Keely's feet! It couldn't hold shoes for Keely; it was barely half the size of a Kleenex box!

Keely breathed in and out again, then held the box up and got ready to open it. "There is one more shoe I got," Keely stated slowly, holding eye contact with Phil, "but they won't fit, at least for a year or so." As Phil muttered a quiet "what?" and twisted his face up all funny like he didn't understand, Keely drew back the lid of the box, revealing a small pair of white lacy baby booties. Keely broke into a smile as she watched Phil's look of confusion morph into one of delight, understanding, pride, and elation.

"What… uh, what does this mean sweetheart!" Phil stuttered, never breaking his gaze with Keely.

"Phil, this means that we're going to have a baby." Keely smiled as her eyes sparkled from tears of joy. "Yes Phil, I'm pregnant."

Phil emitted a laugh like a little kid, one that was purely joyful. He broke into a smile so big it was practically stretching off his face as he jumped up and did a punch into the air with his fist and yelled "woo hoo!"

Keely was now fully crying, and after Phil's jovial celebration he reached around the coffee table and grabbed her, pulling her into his embrace. She fell against him, and he just hugged her even tighter. Then, he picked her up, spun her around and kissed her fully on the lips before setting her down again. "Keels, when did you find out?"

"Oh yeah, that!" Keely laughed as she wiped even more tears from her eyes. "I found out about five days ago, when uh, well, you know what happens. I'm just a few weeks along now, but our baby is due around April 20th. And um, we have an appointment to meet the doctor next week." Keely finished with a smile, though still crying.

"Keels, I'm so proud of you!" Phil said with a smile and a boost of enthusiasm.

"Well, it wasn't all me you know." Keely giggled.

Phil smiled a broad smile, scooped Keely up so he was holding her then turned

And started to walk up the stairs. He stopped on the landing just a few stairs from the top and said triumphantly "This calls for a celebration!" Keely laughed in response and gave him a deep, loving kiss.

"Well, I was actually thinking we would go out to dinner, but what the pregnant lady wants, the pregnant lady gets!" Phil said joyfully. And, after that, Phil carried Keely up the stairs and into the bedroom.


	2. Chapter 2

Well… I know I said it was just one chapter, but as I read it again and again I knew it just had to go on! Ha-ha… seriously. Sorry guys, the workload is really heavy right now, but I will be spitting out chapter after chapter ASAP.

Chapter 2

**Keely's P.O.V.**

Phil and I had come up with a plan. A fool proof plan that turned out quite nicely, if I do say so myself. You know Phil's parents, Barbara and Lloyd (that's what they insisted on after Phil and I got married). They're always calling wacky dinners and such just for 'family bonding' now Phil and I are married. They say that I'm like their second daughter, and they just love to hear how Phil and I are doing. Anyways, they called a family get-together, however, this time my mom was also supposed to come, as celebration for Phil and I's third anniversary, which was officially two months and three days ago. I guess it's the thought that counts. It's also the official anniversary of two weeks since I told Phil I was pregnant.

So we were all sitting around the dinner table just talking and chatting, when Phil gave me the signal (nose flick twice, just like the things we used to do in High School). We had finished up a terrific dinner a few minutes ago, and Pim had surprisingly agreed to clear the dishes. Barbara, Lloyd, Mom, Phil and I were going around the table sharing exciting new news, just the usual stuff. Then, just like we planned, Phil suggested that we take a family picture, because we **were** supposed to be celebrating our anniversary. Everyone surprisingly agreed.

Barbara and Lloyd scooted the couch around until it had a nice solid wall behind it, then Barbara and Mom sat down while Lloyd went to get the camera. I looked at Phil and nodded, mentally saying "It's all good." And Phil returned the gesture with a broad smile, which I returned shortly after.

"Come on Phil, Keely, I just ate! Can't you guys spare me just twenty minutes with out getting all lovey-dovey!" Pim exclaimed, breaking Phil and I's little 'moment'. Reluctantly, Phil and I broke our gaze, and I took a deep breath, a bit nervous about what was coming next. But this is what Phil and I had wanted, telling the family in one big swoop.

By then, Lloyd was back and was setting up the camera on a tripod across the room. "The timer goes for fifteen seconds everybody, and I got the new high tech camera that counts down out loud!" Lloyd said, nodding his head and smiling like a four-year-old. "That's great dad! Now can you please just take the picture?" Pim half responded, half yelled.

Lloyd hurriedly set up the camera, turned on the timer, and scrambled over to the couch. Nothing happened. The anticipation was building inside me, and I could feel it inside Phil too as he squeezed my hand, which was hidden behind the couch we were leaning up against. He got up and went to the camera to check it when "FLASH!" a picture was taken of his shirt front. All of us were silently chuckling, but we quickly ceased when Lloyd turned around. "I forgot to turn the counter on." He stated simply.

"Here we go! Now I'm sure I got it!" he said, pressing a few camera buttons then skittering to his place in the middle of the couch.

I loud automated voice came on and began counting down, just like Lloyd said would happen. "Thirteen…Twelve…" I heard it count, then all I could think about was the emotions running through my head: suspense, nervousness, anticipation, absolute joy.

I looked over to Phil, and he held up one hand with five fingers on it. "On five!" he mouthed silently. I nodded back, and then faced the camera, anxiously waiting to hear the fateful number.

"Seven…Six…" I heard it count. I then looked to Phil and at the same time we blurted out **"WE'RE HAVING A BABY!"**

"CLICK!" The shutter on the camera went off; to perhaps the best picture I've ever seen. Pim's jaw is dropped as far as it will go, Phil is smiling at me, my eyes are sparkling (Phil says) I just think I look happy and a little bit pale. My mom right in front of me is in the process of turning around, her eyes are bugged out almost all the way out her head and Phil's parents look happily surprised.

When we all realized that the picture had been taken, my mom started jumping up and down and screaming, Pim broke into a spontaneous smile, and Mrs. Diffy wanted to know everything we know, and Mr. Diffy just patted Phil on the back and said "You'll make a fine father."

So, that was at least three hours ago, and the excitement has not died down, but at least stopped for the night so Phil and I could come home. There's only so much a pregnant woman can take in one day!

Tomorrow, we tell Via and Owen, then we call Tia and Seth. In a week and a half, we tell all my work friends, then the day after that we tell all Phil's work friends at their "Fall Festival." (Just a simple pig pickin') So, really, the excitement is just beginning.


	3. Chapter 3

**Sorry! I'm really trying, but I wasn't sure exactly what I wanted to do with this chapter. I finally made somewhat of a decision, so Tada! Here ya go!

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Happy didn't even begin to describe the emotion Phil and Keely had been experiencing over the past few days. They were just ecstatic that in just a few months, they would take on such an important role. Parents.

It was early morning (around 4) on September 1st when they got a phone call from Owen. Phil was closest to the phone, so while Keely slept he rolled out of bed an answered it with a groggy "hello?"

He was talking a mile a minute and occasionally panting. "Hey Phil! Oh my Gosh! It's Owen. Via in labor and we just got to the hospital. She said for me to call you, she wants to see Keely and re-schedule plans for dinner tonight…" Owen spilled out to Phil.

"Wait!" Phil interrupted Owen mid-sentence. "Via's in labor, getting ready to have twins and she's worried about dinner plans tonight!"

"Yeah, I know she's crazy, you don't have to tell me." Owen said, half-jokingly. From the background Phil heard Via yell something witty in response, then Owen said "Dude! Gotta go… the wife needs me. Can you bring Keely down here ASAP? Vee **really** wants to see her."

"Yeah, sure thing. I'll go wake her up right now." Phil spoke into the phone, just wondering how Keely would react to being awoken four hours early.

"Ok. Go get 'em!" Owen said, then clicked off the phone to go help Via.

Phil hung up the phone also, then groaned when he looked at the clock_, It is too early for Via to be going into labor! Why can't she just wait until like 9 am or something, when people are actually awake. It's not even sunny yet! _Phil thought to himself as he sat down on the edge of the bed to awaken Keely. Little did he know, she had also awoken when the phone rang, but had fake-slept while Phil was talking to Owen. Phil gently shook Keely, but she kept her eyes peacefully closed, just to see what he would do next. Phil leaned down, whispered "Keely, wake up…" in her ear then planted a sweet kiss on her lips. Keely had a feeling that was exactly what he would do, so when he kissed her she sprung alive. Keely reached up, ran her fingers through his hair and started kissing him again and again. When Phil realized what Keely had done, he kissed her back.

After a few minutes, Phil remembered the reason he had tried to wake her up in the first place. He reluctantly broke away from her and whispered "Hey honey. Sorry for waking you up at four in the morning. Owen just called; Via's in labor." Phil said. Upon hearing this, Keely's eyes got real big and she sat up suddenly. "Via's in labor! Ww, we, we have to go see her!" Keely sputtered out. "Come on Phil! Not a moment to lose!" Keely said, throwing back the covers, and rushing into the closet to find something to wear.

Keely came out a few minutes later, squinted at the clock then returned back into the closet. Phil, who was still perched on the edge of the bed, raised his eyebrows amusedly, then went over to his dresser on the other side of the room and found a t-shirt and jeans to wear. Keely came out of the closet a few minutes later, also in a t-shirt and jeans, and when Phil smiled and cocked his head to the side Keely just replied "Phil, it's too early to accessorize."

Phil suppressed a small chuckle, then went over to Keely, grabbed her hand and they headed to the car together.

Within minutes they were shuffling through the hospital towards the baby wing where Via was. Just as they approached the desk, Owen came out of one of the nearby rooms and waved Phil and Keely in his direction. "Phil! Keely! She's in here!" Owen called, pointing his finger towards the room he came out of. Phil and Keely smiled at the receptionist, who waved them towards Owen, then hurried over to where he was standing.

"She's in there, but she looks really distressed. Don't say anything to push her over the edge. We should have twins in a couple of hours!" Owen said excitedly, then pushed open the hospital room door to reveal Via in the bed with two nurses bustling around. Owen slid by Phil and Keely and went to sit on the edge of the bed next to Via.

She didn't look like herself at all. Via was sweaty and slightly pale, yet her cheeks were flushed from being in pain. Sweat was dripping down her forehead and she had dark circles under her eyes. Her combed to perfection hair was lazily tied back in a knot looking thing that mainly just got it out of the way.

Phil glanced over at Keely, whose jaw was dropped at the sight of her friend, then pinched her to snap her out of her trance as Via mumbled a tired "Hey guys." "Hey Via," Phil said over-enthusiastically, hoping to make up for Keely's bewildered stare. "We can't wait to meet the twins in just a few short hours," Phil continued, "And it's just fine that you'll be skipping dinner with us tonight. We know you'll want to spend time with your new family. Right Keely?" Phil elbowed Keely in the side and stared at her, mentally telling her to say something to her friend.

"Yeah, Vee. It's fine! We're so excited for you. And we'll just go wait right outside in the lobby there until these babies make their grand entrance!" Keely said, smiling a short smile at Via then practically dragging Phil out the door. "I'll come get you when they arrive!" Owen called behind them.

Keely waited until she and Phil were safely out of earshot before spinning around to face him. "THAT," she said with big eyes of disbelief, "is what I have gotten myself into! That's gonna be me in that bed mid-April! Tired, pale and sweating from unnatural places? Oy Vey! I need to sit down." Keely said as she slid down and sat on the nearest couch.

Phil was in disbelief also. That _would_ be Keely in a few months. She would be the one in the bed, and he would be the one just watching her go through so much _discomfort._

Phil lowered himself onto the couch beside Keely. Her elbows were balanced on her knees, her head was in her hands, and she was trying really hard to not break down right then and there. Phil heard her sniff a small sniffle, then he scooted closer to her and wrapped his arms around her. She turned some so her head was against his chest and he could feel warm, silent tears soaking through his shirt. "Keely, its ok, shhhhh." Phil said rocking her slowly from side to side. "It may take some effort and discomfort to get there, but think of how wonderful it will feel when we get to look in our little baby's face for the first time. Think about that. Think about how great it will be to take our own little baby home from the hospital." Phil whispered into her ear as her tears slowly subsided.

"You're right, Phil. That'll be great." Keely said, pulling up the edge of her shirt and using it to dry her eyes. "Just another mood swing!" She finished, cracking a smile. When Phil saw that she was happy again, he smiled in return and kissed her forehead. She turned her head up towards his and kissed him back, this time on the lips. They continued kissing for a minute or two before Phil broke away. "Save it, babe." He told her.Then, upon seeing her frown he added, smiling at her,"There's a lot more where that came from!"

Keely smiled her irresistible smile and laughed along with him. When the laughter had died down, Keely looked up at the clock on the wall and yawned. It was almost five in the morning, after all. Phil watched Keely yawn, then let go of her and scooted back until he leaned against the armrest of the couch. "Come here Keels," he said as he propped one leg against the back of the couch. His other leg was on the floor, giving Keely a perfect place to recline against him.

She scooted over willingly, until her feet were up on the couch and her back was against his chest. She sighed a content sigh and placed her handsgently against her stomach. Phil wrapped his arms around her and placed his hands under hers, also on her stomach. He leaned down and whispered in her ear "I can't believe there's our little baby in there."

"There is, Phil. There is." Keely said as her eyes began to droop and she nodded off.

**Hey! I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written IN MY LIFE! Woo hoo! Yay! Please review! They make me so happy! Yay! Oh yeah, if anyone has ideas for names, genders, etc. of Owen and Via's twins, lemme know. I'm kinda at a blank spot when I try to name them.**


	4. Chapter 4

**I'm back again! Yay! This story is moving along faster than I thought it would! Right now, I'm supposed to be doing homework, but I'm going out of town this weekend so I decided to try and write a chapter before I leave. **

**Sultan Peppershaker—I never even thought of that, but don't worry, I wouldn't do that anyway. That brings back bad memories to me too… ha-ha!**

**To all my other lovelies, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR REVIEWING! Y'all will never fully understand what an effect just one review has on me… and now I have 20! YAY! They seriously make my days a WHOLE LOT BETTER! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! **

**Here we go!**

**:) BE234THERZ**

Keely was just starting to stir when the sound of a baby's cry filled the lobby, about ten minutes later followed by another one. When Keely heard the first one, she just turned towards the couch and fell back into a light sleep. But when another cry filled the room, Keely knew sleep was not anywhere in her near future. So she turned back over and looked up at Phil. He was awake, and had been for about an hour. He smiled down at her and she snuggled into him even further. He re-wrapped his arms around her and pulled her closer, rubbing his nose in her hair. Phil and Keely stayed like this for a few minutes, neither one of them wanting to move.

All of a sudden, the door to Via's room flew open and Owen stuck his head out in the hallway. "Phil, Keely! Come here!" he panted, then he disappeared and the door slammed shut.

"You ready to go?" Phil asked, looking down at Keely.

"No. Am I supposed to be?" she replied, smiling and closing her eyes to go back to sleep.

"Come on, Keels. Up and at 'em!" Phil told her, "Besides, we can do this anywhere."

"Ok, fine" Keely groaned, slowly sitting up off Phil, then standing up and reaching for his hand. He eagerly took it and Keely pulled him off the couch, then they slowly strolled, hand in hand, over to the Via's room. Keely looked at Phil again, her eyes big like when the first came out of the room and took a deep, deliberate breath. "Keely, she's gonna look fine! She already **had** the babies." Phil told her reassuringly.

"I know," Keely started, "I just don't believe you!"

Before Phil could reply, the door flew open again and Owen yelled, right in Phil and Keely's faces, "Well, are you coming or… hello!" Owen had intended for his message to carry across the lobby to where Phil and Keely were, so he yelled it before realizing they were right in front of him.

"Right this way, welcomed guests." Owen said, acting like the butler of a fancy mansion, even bowing over for special effect.

Via was sitting on the bed, bouncing two bundles in her arms, one pink and one blue. When Keely saw her, she looked almost normal, at least good enough for Keely's standards. "Vee!" Keely screeched, making a beeline for the bed and hugging on to her friend. "Well don't you want to meet the babies?" Via questioned, eyes sparkling. "Sure, formal introductions." Owen added, sitting down on the other side of the bed and wrapping his arm around Via.

Phil was still in the doorway, amazed by what he saw. His friends, Owen and Via, now **parents**. Owen was behaving like, like, a dad.

"Come on, Phil." Keely said, beckoning him with her hand. He snapped out of his trance and headed her way. As soon as he was close enough, Keely grabbed his arms and wrapped them around her. "Ok, NOW we're ready." Keely said to Via, who took her 'cue'.

"Ok, this, is Benjamin Mitchell," Via said, handing him to Keely, who smiled as she held him. He had dark hair like Via, but he had Owen's skin tone. However, lots of babies have dark hair when they're first born, so he could end up looking just like Owen. "You see, I wanted to name him Owen Junior, and then his initials would be O.J. Orange juice? Get it?" Owen added in laughing and giving Phil a playful punch on the arm. Via was quick to add in "I didn't go for that… at all."

Phil and Keely were amazed by this little life they were holding in their arms. It was a living, breathing baby. In a few months, they'd be holding their own little, breathing baby. And they both knew they couldn't wait.

"Well, do you want to meet his sister?" Via said, seeing how excited they were just getting to hold and look at her little boy.

"Yeah!" Keely said, handing Benjamin to Phil who reluctantly let go of Keely, but happily accepted the baby.

"This is his sister, Brenna Juliet." Via said, handing her to Keely. "Brenna Juliet… it's beautiful Via!"

"Thank you, I liked it too." Via responded. "And so did I!" Owen added in.

Phil and Keely stayed about twenty more minutes, then decided it was time to leave Owen and Via alone with their new family. So they said their goodbyes, handed over the babies, and headed out.

When they got to the car, they realized it was just 11:30 am. Phil was just going to head home when Keely's stomach growled a long, low growl. "Sounds like some one's hungry!" Phil said. "Some two." Keely corrected him, smiling. Phil then changed lanes and headed for a shopping center with restaurants.

They grabbed a quick bite to eat then were back in the car to head home. "Today was perfect," Keely said, beaming in the seat next to Phil. "Yeah, except our dinner plans got cancelled for tonight." Phil added in. At the sound of this, Keely frowned. They were going to tell Owen and Via tonight they were expecting a baby.

"But, if you don't have anything else going on, my lady," Phil said, trying to sound suave and tempting, "We still have reservations at a restaurant, and we haven't been on a date in quite a while."

"Ok, then Phil! It's a date." Keely said, still smiling.


	5. Chapter 5

Well… I had this written before I left but my computer was 'under the weather'… haha. Enjoy it!

Another shout out to all my lovelies, my reviewers! Thank you. Those reviews make my days better more than you will ever know :) Thank you!

Sorry this is so short... this chapter gave me headaches when i tried to write it. I'm not that happy with it, but we gotta keep the story moving!

:) be234therz

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**September 4, 2005 (three days later)**

Keely was in their bedroom, folding laundry, when she heard the front door slam, meaning that Phil was home. Keely's work was mainly in the mornings, sometimes going until three or so, but she always made sure she was home to fix dinner.

Phil had a long day at work, and Keely could tell as soon as she laid eyes on him. His hair was all mussed up, like he had repeatedly run his fingers through it, and his eyes looked tired. However, as soon as he saw her, he opened his arms up and brought out the smile that was reserved just for her. They met in the hallway, both ecstatic to see each other, and kissed.

Finally, Keely broke away and mumbled "Sorry, Phil, dinner won't fix itself!" before hustling off to the kitchen. Phil sighed, and then headed off to the bedroom to change clothes. So much had changed over the last four days, it seemed. Owen and Via had become **parents**. Today was they day they took Benjamin and Brenna home from the hospital. Phil laughed to himself as he thought of how long Keely would be on the phone tonight with Via, probably talking about babies and exchanging pregnancy tips, and how long into the pregnancy you can wear high heels and be comfortable.

Then, Phil paused. Via didn't know Keely was pregnant. Neither did Owen, or Tia, or Seth, or his co-workers, or Keely's co-workers! What were they thinking? How could they forget to tell their friends they were going to be parents? When did they not tell them? Phil rushed out of their bedroom and into the kitchen, for some odd reason panting. "Keely," he breathed, "we didn't tell anyone besides our parents you're pregnant!"

Keely was very calm about the whole deal. "I know, and I took care of it." Keely replied, then turned back to where she was putting finishing touches on two plates of spaghetti.

"Keely! You took care of it! Without telling me! When!" Phil said, putting extra emphasis on without.

"Yeah, silly! I knew that if we left you to do it, it wouldn't get done until our baby is three! So I went ahead and took care of it, about 30 minutes ago." Keely said, laughing at how much of a big deal Phil was making of this.

"Well, what'd you do?" Phil questioned her, getting antsy over what she **could **have done.

"Check your e-mail, Phil." Keely told him.

Phil rushed up the stairs and into the office. He whipped up his e-mail account and scrolled through about twenty messages of junk mail before stopping on one from Keely. He ferociously clicked and clicked and clicked on the e-mail file until it finally popped open. In the e-mail was a picture and a message. The message said:

_Dear friends and co-workers,_

_I'm sure you've all seen this picture before; it was our Christmas card last year. However, make sure you look at it carefully, for we've changed since last Christmas. _

_Lots of Love!_

_Phil and Keely_

_P.S. Please call us when you get this; we feel it's pretty important!_

The picture was, indeed, their Christmas card from last year. But, just like Keely said, it was different. Keely had been wearing a plain red top with a Christmas tree on the front, but where the tree was, a yellow and black road-sign looking thing had been pasted on top that read "BABY ON BOARD."

By then, Keely had come upstairs to see if Phil had found her little surprise yet. No sooner had she stepped in the room, Phil was running towards her and grabbing her, giving her a great kiss in the process. "Keely, you're so amazing!" He said as he smothered her in kisses. "Well, thank you." She replied, kissing him back.

Then, Keely's cell phone started ringing, followed by their home phone. Keely answered her cell, Phil took the home phone, and before he could start talking his cell phone started ringing too, as if right on cue.

**Please review :) **


	6. Chapter 6

**Geez… this has to be AT LEAST the sixth time I have started this chapter. Eek! **

**I'm sorry for making all of you wait so long… things have been way too crazy around here! Mainly, my cousin had a seizure at our house a week ago, and they live three hours away, but they couldn't leave til they had some tests done, and so they finally left like 3 days late. Now, the tests are coming back NOT all clear, so my cousin is being put to sleep on Monday for more tests. Oh, did I mention she's 5? So, if you believe in praying, PLEASE PRAY FOR HER! She really needs it. And for my aunt (her mom) too… she's falling apart.**

**I get out of school on Tuesday for Thanksgiving break, so I'll try to write the next chapter then! Thanks for sticking with my story even through my long delays…**

**Sorry to any of you I confused with the phone thingy… it was just all the family calling to talk to them! (Re-read the note they sent to everyone)**

**This story is approaching 50 reviews! Yay! That excites me sooo much:) **

**be234therz**

**P.S…. I have an idea for my next story! And I'm already planning it… I can't wait!**

**Keely's POV**

**November 30th**

Well, today we had our annual gathering with our neighbors and Phil and I's parents. So, yes, maybe it was Thanksgiving, but we were only 6 days late! I mean, we did have Thanksgiving **on Thanksgiving Day**, but I didn't feel too well, actually I threw up as soon as I smelled the turkey, so Phil and I just stayed for an hour or so then went home and curled up on the couch to watch all the parades on TV. ANYWAYS, today I felt much better, and we had been planning Thanksgiving with the neighbors since the beginning of October, so I just cooked more turkey and invited Phil and I's family over also. What an experience…

My mom was got to our house first, over an hour early, (big surprise), but Phil and I weren't ready yet. Phil made up some lame excuse about some clown coming and stealing the pumpkin pie, or something like that, for a pie in the face game at the carnival, and surprisingly she bought it. Then, Phil handed her a twenty dollar bill and sent her across town to the Pickford Pie District to pick up another one. That got her out the door fast!

Phil and I rushed about the house, finding all the things we needed for our surprise. We really love to surprise people during this pregnancy! By the time mom got back, all was ready, including Phil and both being showered and dressed. I had my brand-spanking-new maternity top on and I was singing as I pulled the turkey out of the oven.

Mom got back with twenty minutes to spare before the Diffy's and the Kelley's, our neighbors, were supposed to arrive. This time, we had everything right where we needed it to be. I made her a cup of coffee and invited her to chat in the den with Phil and I while we waited for the others to arrive. Thank goodness she agreed- I assumed she'd want to set the table or something and she'd ruin the surprise.

About fifteen minutes later, the Diffy's arrived. Just on time. Phil looked at me and tugged his earlobe twice, a secret code I insisted we had to have. Not really so I'd get the message, just because I wanted to relive the glory days in high school. At that time, my mom was describing some house she had recently put on the market (she's still a real estate agent) that she insisted Phil and I should move into when the baby is born. I quickly interrupted her with cheery "That's nice, mom! Now could you do me a favor and set the table?" which she quickly agreed to.

As mom bustled out of the den and into the kitchen to collect silverware, napkins, etc. I looked to Phil and took a deep breath. He stood up, then helped me up and held my hand, interlocking our fingers. He gazed into my eyes as I took a deliberate, deep breath and squeezed his hand. I could tell he was trying hard not to laugh, then he pulled me into a hug, leaned down and whispered in my ear "I love you Keely" then planted a sweet kiss on my cheek.

Right on cue, the doorbell rang, so Phil and I went to answer it. Before we could even say hello to the Diffy's, my mom screamed from the dining room. She had found our surprise. Lloyd quickly rushed past us, followed by Mrs. Diffy, who stopped to hug me and kiss Phil's cheek, then Pim and some complete stranger who she was _holding hands with._

Phil and I knew there would be lots of questions, so we headed to the dining room after Pim. Phil opened the door for me, even though they would stay open all by itself, and escorted me through the entrance. We really had done a great job with the decorations. Streamers, balloons, signs, posters, placemats, centerpieces, everything was done up in pink, because, as Phil and I found out last week, we're having a **girl**.

Upon our entrance, my mom enveloped us in a bear hug, then pulled back and sighed a happy sigh. "This is so exciting!" She said, before moving to the side allowing us to talk to the Diffy's.

Barbara bounced over to us also, hugged Phil, then grabbed me, hugged me until I couldn't breathe, then giggled in my ear "A girl will be good for Phil!", and moved away.

Pim came up next, stranger in tow. "This," she said, shoving him forward, "is my new husband, Rich. Before you ask me all these questions, we've been dating secretly since I was a freshman in college, and we got married last week in Vegas. I really would have invited you two, but we didn't want a big ceremony with dresses and frills and everything." Rich nodded in agreement, then followed Pim off to where my mom was standing.

Upon them moving, Phil and I had a great view of Lloyd pulling a twenty out of his pocket, grumbling the whole time, and giving it to Barbara. When Barbara got a hold of it, she smiled, stuck her tongue out at Lloyd and started to stick it in her wallet. When Phil finally said "Uh, Mom?" Barbara was quick to reply "We were most definitely not betting on whether it would be a boy or girl!" and Phil and I just laughed.

Right on cue, the doorbell rang again and Phil went to answer it. A few seconds later, in paraded the Kelley's, our neighbors. First entered Steve, holding their two-year-old Maxwell, followed by Melissa, his wife, and their two girls, Stephanie and Elise, who were clad in matching dresses with little leaves and turkeys on them. I think one of the main reasons Melissa and Steve are so close to us is because they're 35, so they've already been through all the things we're currently experiencing. Stephanie, who is seven, instantly understood what all of the decorations were for and hugged me around my waist. Melissa and Steve also hugged me, then Phil, and told us how proud they were. Six-year-old Elise took a little while to understand the message, probably because she had just learned to read and kept pronouncing "girl" as "grill". However, when she understood the meaning of all the decorations, she did a dance and sang a little song as she moved around the room.

When all of the chaos had settled down a little, we all sat down to enjoy our feast. What a feast it was! Phil and I really outdid ourselves this time, because we didn't have to cook at all last week. Plates full of turkey, mashed potatoes, beans, rolls, stuffing… absolutely everything! And, of course, the pies my mom picked up.

All of us were seated at the table, holding hands, and Rich was getting ready to bless the food. Everything was silent. Our heads were bowed, and Rich had started blessing the food, when suddenly I felt a little _tap tap tap_. I opened my eyes and glanced to my left where Phil was sitting. His head was still bowed and he was quiet. He hadn't tapped me. I glanced to my right, where Pim was sitting, but her head was bowed too. She hadn't tapped me either. Then I felt it again, only this time it just felt like bubbles. It was coming from my stomach. I wasn't hungry, because I had eaten a sandwich only half an hour earlier in case I didn't feel good during the big meal. It was the baby.

I mean, the doctor had told me I should feel something like bubbles, or tapping, or just some serious butterflies sometime in the next few weeks, but I didn't know it would feel this _amazing._

Of course, I started crying, but I seem to do that for everything now a day, so I guess everyone's kind of used to it. Stupid hormones. I tried to keep quiet through the blessing, but it just wasn't happening. Finally, Phil turned over to me and squeezed my hand. He let go of my mom's hand, which was on the other side of him, and wrapped his arms around me, rocking me back and forth. Yes, this all happened during the blessing.

He bent over a little bit and whispered in my ear, "Keely, baby, what's wrong? Do you not feel good? You can go lay down if you need to." Isn't he just great? I mean, he always puts others first.

By then, Rich had finished the blessing and everyone was officially staring at us, even Maxwell. I started laughing as I dabbed my eyes with my napkin, hoping to stop my mascara which I'm sure was running.

"I, I just felt the baby move!" I finally sputtered out.

Upon hearing this, everyone broke into cheers, Melissa leaned across the table and asked me what it felt like, Phil kissed the top of my head, Barbara and my mom high-fived, and everything broke out into loud noise again. Yes, this is exactly how I love my holidays.

It was around nine PM before everyone headed home. We had all stayed around and played games, listened to holiday music and just chilled. I was sitting at the vanity in our bedroom, brushing my hair and changing my earrings when Phil came up behind me and whispered in my ear "I'm thankful for you, Keely Diffy."

I turned around and grabbed him, giving him a passionate kiss. He pulled me up off the vanity chair and wrapped his arms around my waist, moving mine up to wrap around his neck. Then, he started swaying side to side slowly and humming softly our favorite love song as we swayed and danced around the bedroom. "I'm thankful for you, too." I whispered in his ear when he leaned down and kissed my cheek.

Then, I laid my head down on his shoulder and we continued dancing, me shedding soft, happy tears and him humming.


	7. Chapter 7

"Ok, Phil! We have three things to do today: 1) Christmas Shopping for parents and grandparents. 2) Sign up for Parenting/Childbirth classes. 3) Pick a name for our little girl." Keely said, smiling at the lastthing on the list, thenpresenting Phil with a sticky note.

"Keels, do we really have to get **all of this** done today? Don't we have until **December 24th **to get the shopping done? And aren't you due in **April**? On the **20th**? Which is near the **end**?" Phil told her, counting his questions on his fingers and drawing out his words.

"Ok, Mister. I get your point." Keely snapped back at him, then crumbled onto the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands.

"Geez! Pregnant women sure do get hormonal!" Phil mumbled under his breath as he went over to sit on the edge of the bed next to Keely.

"Phil," Keely groaned, "Phil, now I'm crying. I'm not even mad at you, and I'm not even in a bad mood. Phil…" Keely trailed off, mumbling illiterately and sighing, eyes watering.

"Keely, I didn't mean to make you cry. I'm sorry. Come on, stop crying," Phil said apologetically as he wrapped his arms around Keely and pulled her close.

Keely sat quietly on the bed in his arms, slowly recovering, then pulled away a few minutes later. "Phew!" she said, blowing out a long breath. "Here we go! Ok, I'm all better now. See! I'm happy now!" She said to Phil.

It wasn't until she broke out into a smile that he totally believed her. "Now, Shake a leg Hun! The door busters started an hour ago!" Phil said as he pushed her towards the bathroom.

* * *

By around three that afternoon, both Phil and Keely had exhausted all the local stores. Loaded down with bags, they staggered to the car. Keely groaned as Phil swayed a bit, and then managed to pull the keys out of his pocket. She moaned as he tried desperately to unlock the door, and she let out a gasp of relief when the door to the trunk opened and they were able to pile their bags inside. She leaned against the door and Phil took a running start and slammed it, then it closed.

Just as Keely was walking around to get in the car, Phil shot past her and opened the door, bowing a little in the process. "Why, thank you my good man!" Keely exclaimed, delighted at Phil's kind gesture, before lowering herself into the seat and pulling her legs in, allowing Phil to close the door.

Phil and Keely were en-route home when Keely tipped her seat back so it was reclined and turned on her side in it so she was facing Phil. She sighed contently, closed her eyes and yawned, then drifted off to sleep. "Keels, you tired?" Phil asked her, patting her leg. "Yeah," she mumbled back, "but I'm not supposed to be, I mean, the doctor said I should be becoming more active lately."

"Well, don't worry about it," he said. "You don't shop until you drop everyday!"

"Ha-ha, Phil" Keely said back. Then, her stomach growled a long, low growl.

"I see you're hungry too!" Phil exclaimed. "Let's see, you're one, tired, and two, hungry. Sounds like a perfect excuse for me to fix dinner!"

By this time, they were in the driveway, and Phil had just cut the ignition off. "No, Phil, I'll perk back up in a minute, don't worry about dinner!" Keely told him, returning her seat back up and unbuckling.

But, upon his insisting, Keely gave in and agreed to let Phil fix dinner. He gave her a quick smooch, sent her off to their bedroom for a nap, then rubbed his hands together excitedly and head off to the kitchen.

* * *

"Well, Phil! I must say I'm very impressed with you! Dinner was extraordinary," Keely complimented as she gave Phil a light-hearted pat on the back.

"There's dessert too, so don't go too far!" Phil responded as he grabbed her hand and helped her stand, then stood up himself.

Keely called over her shoulder to him, "Oh, I won't- I was just going to sign us up for parenting classes at the Pickford Community Center over in the community district."

A few minutes later, she hollered down the hall and into the kitchen, where Phil was, "Hey, do we have anything to do Tuesdays in January from 6:30 to 8 pm?" After checking the calendar, Phil replied with a "Nope, sign us up!"

Ten clicks and refreshes later, Keely was finished and they were signed up.

Dessert was a bowl of ice cream for each of them—Phil's saying "Phil" in chocolate syrup and Keely's saying, well, "Keely". Phil was very proud he had done the chocolate syrup himself.

The dinner plates had been cleared long ago. Phil and Keely were sitting at the table, each holding a list full of names, trying to narrow it down to just one. However, the lists were still long, each consisting of about twelve names.

"How do you like the name Deanna?" Phil said, pausing with his red pen on the paper.

"Um…. Not my favorite; sounds a little to 'country cowgirl' when you say Deanna Diffy!" Keely said, laughing at her own joke.

"Ok." Phil said, drawing a neat red line through the name. "How about Samantha?"

Keely replied almost instantly, "That's pretty! KEEP IT!"

"Ok." Phil said, putting a star next to that one. "How about Lorelai?"

"No. That won't do because every time someone hears her name their brain will scream "Gilmore Girls!" which will make them think we're some crazy maniac people that are obsessed with the show." Keely explained, then crossed her arms across her chest and nodded.

"Yeah, I guess you're right." Phil said, marking another line on his sheet. He continued to scan the names, marking off any that pertained to TV shows or actresses or anything like that.

A few minutes later, he said to Keely, "How 'bout we call it a night? It's after eleven and you have to be at work **pretty early** tomorrow morning. How's that sound?" When he finally looked up, Keely's head was down on the table and she was sleeping lightly.

­

* * *

**Sorry it took so incredibly long—I just haven't even been able to sit back and breathe for the last few weeks! Ahh! And I have a big ballet coming up next weekend, yes, I'm a dancer, so that'll probably take up some of my free time :( I'll try to write, write, write!  
**

**Reviews would be appreciated… they make me feel so much better :)! **


	8. Chapter 8

Phil kicked the front door closed as he headed to their bedroom to change clothes. It had been a long day. A long week, actually. Not that the holidays aren't fun or anything, they just get stressful. But, it was December 20th now, and though the holiday shopping season was at its highest points, Keely was sitting at the kitchen table, perusing a list carefully. She had her Christmas shopping done weeks before.

"Hey Keels. What are ya looking at?" Phil said, changing direction so he came to stand behind her.

Without even taking her eyes off the paper, she muttered "name list" then proceeded to mark something off with a red ink pen.

She then told him, sounding surprised, "You actually have some good names, Phil. I'm very impressed."

"Ha. Ha. Ha." Phil said sarcastically.

Their lists definitely were shorter, each containing about nine or ten names. Phil was in the bedroom, changing, when Keely shrieked from her spot at the kitchen table. "Oh my gosh!" she yelled, then let out a high pitch squeal.

Phil heard her yell, then squeal, and took off running. He was prepared for the worst. Upon entering the kitchen, he saw Keely. Not pale, sickly, shocked, upset, but, _dancing._ Yes, Keely was dancing around the kitchen, Phil's name list in her left hand, her own list in her right. Dancing, and singing.

Phil ran over to her, grabbed her shoulders and turned her to face him, then looked her straight in the eyes and said "Keely Teslow Diffy, **ARE YOU OKAY?**"

"Phil," she half said, half whispered, "four names on our lists match. We can name this baby!" By the end of her sentence, she had wriggled out of Phil's grip again and was dancing, this time moving towards the living room and saying softly "We can name this baby!"

A few seconds later, the stereo in the living room came on, and Keely was back in the kitchen, still dancing. She grabbed Phil's hands, then shook him a little and yelled "loosen up, Phil! We can name our baby!" then went back to dancing.

Suddenly, the phone rang. Phil answered it, and it was Keely's doctor. He turned to her, still dancing, and motioned for her to turn the radio off. Phil talked on the phone for a few minutes, then thanked the doctor and hung up.

"Well, who was that?" Keely asked, placing one hand on her heart, one on her growing stomach, and laughing while trying to catch her breath.

"The doctor." Phil said, his face falling when he saw the look of joy in her eyes.

Keely nodded her head, as if he was to continue, as she said "Okay, and what did they say?"

"They had the results for the second trimester birth defects tests." He told her seriously, showing no hint of a smile on his face.

"Oh my gosh. What did he say?" Keely said, ending in a whisper as the hand that was on her heart moved to her mouth, and her eyes glistened with tears.

"He, uh, he, he said…" Phil trailed off, as Keely silently began to cry. She didn't want anything to be anything but healthy.

Keely was standing on one side of the kitchen crying, and Phil was on the other side, looking down at the hardwood floors. "He said the baby's fine." Phil finished, raising his head up to stare her straight in the eyes and grinning broadly.

When she heard that, she threw her hands in the air and screamed "Yes!" then held her arms out towards Phil. He ran across the kitchen and grabbed her, kissing her passionately as she giggled softly. Then, he dropped to his knees and leaned his head up against Keely's stomach. Her eyebrows furrowed for a moment, then she broke out into a soft grin when she heard him whispering to their baby "Hey, little one. This is your daddy, and we're very happy you checked out just fine. We're getting very excited for when you make your grand entrance in April, but try not to take too long or mom will get pretty annoyed. We're so lucky to have you! Oh yeah, and your daddy and mommy already love you very much."

Phil left his head there, pressed up against Keely's stomach for another minute or two, then stood back up and kissed Keely again.

Then, he surprised her by going over to the radio and turning it on again. The nighttime shows had just started, so the music was toned down and slow, compared to the day's vibrant beat Keely had danced to earlier.

"Come on," he said, nodding his head, then pulling her hand towards the living room. "Let's dance."

* * *

**I know, i'm sorry for the slow update. Things have been beyond crazy around here. I'd like to thank everyone who has reviewed so far... i absolutely love them:) They're all so sweet and encouraging. **

**My mom just handed me this quote, i thought i'd post it because it just helped me greatly: PEACE: It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble, or hard work. It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart. **

**So, may all of you either continue to be, or find, peace, real peace, this Christmas season.**

**:) i'm trying to write, write write! My ballet is tomorrow... wish me luck:)**

**be234therz**


	9. Chapter 9

"Ready… set….GO!" Keely screamed as she flipped over the piece of paper in front of her, Phil also flipping his over at the same time. They were sitting right next to each other at the kitchen table, each with a list in front of them and an ink pen in their hand. The lists had four names each and Phil and Keely were frantically putting names together, trying to find combinations that sounded pretty and went well with "Diffy".

They had sat down at the table just a few minutes earlier and Keely had explained the 'baby-related task of the day'. Eachlist had four names they both loved, and they were to put them together in as many combinations that sounded 'pretty' as they could. Phil laughed amusedly; the lists were face down on the table even though they both knew what was on each one.

They had both changed over the past few months. Nothing drastic, but they were becoming more and more mature as they prepared for the arrival of their little girl. They definitely seemed older- not physically older, but just more and more parent-like everyday. However, some things will never change. They still slow-danced in their bedroom, Phil still talked to Keely's belly daily, and they still used high school nicknames like "Philly-willy" and "Keels".

The parenting classes the month before had gone well; Phil and Keely were sure they were ready for this baby. The classes had covered a pretty wide range of knowledge, including how to help Keely in labor, what to do when you get to take the baby home from the hospital, etc. Upon the conclusion of the last one, a new friend of theirs, Alexis, came up to Keely and asked her "When your baby's born do you want to come over and have a play date with me and my baby?", which left Keely screaming "YES!" and, again, dancing.

So there they sat, at the table, each scribbling furiously. Finally, a few minutes later, Keely slammed her pen down on the table, pushed her chair back and rested her hands on her enlarged belly. Phil followed shortly after. They were sitting there, Keely trying to catch her breath, whenshe jumped a little, grabbed Phil's hand and placed it where hers had been, then flashed him a grin and said "baby."

Phil's eyebrows furrowed up as he looked at Keely and questioned "baby?"

Keely nodded back at him enthusiastically and, again, said "baby."

Phil went quiet again, his hand still on her stomach, until he smiled broadly, looked Keely in the eyes and said "baby! I…I… I felt the baby!"

Next thing she knew, Phil had his arms around her waist and was kissing her passionately, like back when they had first gone on their honeymoon. They stayed in that position, still kissing, for a few minutes before Keely pulled away and said, "Ok, let's see what we got name-wise!"

She picked up her list, cleared her throat and read, "Amanda Grace," then looked at Phil for some sort of reaction. He nodded approvingly, and then she began to read her next name "Dan…wait, why am I reading my list to you when you're right her next to me! You can read it yourself."

So, instead of reading the names to each other, they traded papers and began to mark off suggestions. Fifteen minutes later, only one suggestion remained on each of the lists. Keely counted to three slowly, and then they both smacked the lists down on the table and read what was left.

Phil jumped to his feet and pumped his fist in the air, yelling "THE CHOICES MATCH! THE BABY IS NAMED!" Upon hearing him, Keely laughed and once again leaned back in her chair and placed her hands gently on the top of her bulge and sighed contently. Phil calmed down, then sat down next to her and placed his hands on top of hers.

He leaned towards her and whispered in her ear "I love you Keely." Then, he leaned down towards her stomach and said "I love you too, my little…"

**TADA:) Another chapter down! Yay! I didn't put the name at the end mainly because I'm not sure if I want to keep it a surprise or not. I do want it to be a surprise, but I want to tell someone so I can get feedback and, if need be, change it. So, if you can help me and want to know the name before the end of the story, 'drop me a line' in the reviews or the Private Messages (they're so cool!) and I'll let you know :) **

**The ballet went FABULOUSLY, thank you so much everyone for support:) You guys seriously rock my socks off!**

**Please review!**

**MERRY CHRISTMAS!**


	10. Chapter 10

**April 16th**

The room was set up, they had all the furniture and supplies they need, and Phil and Keely were ready for the baby. Keely had started a maternity leave just a few days earlier, and was relaxing in the baby's room- just taking in the peaceful environment- when Phil got off work early and came home. They had plans to meet Owen and Via for dinner later that night.

Keely was standing in the middle of the room, turning in a circle slowly, observing every detail and making sure all the furniture, blankets, clothes, etc. were in place. She turned by the bed, it was made, she turned by the changing table, it was set up, and then she turned to the rocker. Something was missing. Though the room was green, a color that could work for boy or girl, the room had butterflies and flowers all around it so it looked perfect for a little girl. The bed sheets really did look nice- pale pink with cute butterflies and flowers in pastels printed on it.

The rocker, on the other hand, didn't have a butterfly or a flower on it. It was just white. Suddenly, Keely had an idea. They had pillows back at the store that went with the bed sheets and all the decorations- she and Phil could run to the store and grab one to put in the rocker. That was exactly what the room needed to be considered complete.

Phil arrived a minute later, and Keely explained to him her 'dilemma' and her solution to fix it. Phil groaned and rolled his eyes, but he really wanted Keely and the baby to be happy with this room, so he gave in and decided to take her to the store.

Keely was huge now- being due in only four days- so Phil had to support her as she 'waddled' to the car. He eased her down into the front seat and then helped her fasten her seat belt around the baby bulge. Then, Phil got in the driver's seat, revved the engine, and they drove off.

The store had lots of pillows, some with flowers, and others with butterflies, but none with a flower and a butterfly on the same pillow. Both pillows came in a wide variety of colors, five of which matched the colors found in the baby's room. And so the process of elimination began.

Almost forty minutes later, they were either standing or almost standing- Keely was leaning against the shelf tiredly. They had narrowed it down to two pillows when Keely placed her hands on the shelf behind her and eased up to a totally standing position. "Phil, I think I have to go to the bathroom," she said, placing her hands on the top of her stomach then standing up on her tip-toes and craning her neck, looking for a restroom sign.

"Keels, we have two pillows left. Can you help me choose, and then go?" Phil asked her, clearly ready to be done holding frilly, cutesy, girly pillows.

"Fine, I think I can wait."

They looked at both the pillows studying them hard. This was not an easy choice to make. One was pale pink with a purple and green butterfly on it, while the other was pale purple with a pink daisy and green leaves on it. Minutes passed slowly, and the decision was still not made.

Suddenly, Keely placed her hand on her stomach and groaned a little, looking down. There was a big wet spot on the front of her maternity skirt, going down most of the front. When Phil saw this, he jumped a little then quickly asked "Keely, oh my gosh, what's wrong? I thought you said you could wait? Did you really have to go **that bad?**"

She slowly turned her head to look up at him. Her face had gone a ghostly-white pale color, and she was clearly in pain. She reached out her hand, which had been resting on the bottom of her stomach and grabbed at him, searching diligently until she found his hand and held on tight. She whimpered, trying not to go into a state of hysteria and panic, then told Phil between breaths that were coming unevenly from her nervousness "Phil, I can hold it. In fact, I'm still holding it. My water just broke."

**Another chapter down, and in less than four days:) I told way more people then I planned to what the name was, but you'll find out next chapter anyway. That means this story is sadly coming to a close in a chapter or two. Boo hoo:( **

**I have an idea for a sequel (?) But I'm pretty afraid of sequels. I'm pretty afraid of chapter stories, even. I dunno. Maybe down the road. I also have an idea for a new story lined up, so once I get my act together y'all can look out for that!**

**Thank you for the reviews… I normally say 'you rock my socks off' to my friends and such, but this is more than that so 'you rock my socks, no matter where they are!" haha. **

**Thanks again for the reviews!**


	11. Chapter 11

Phil dropped the pillows and scanned the aisles, looking for someone who could help them. Then, he looked back down at Keely and yelled. "Oh my gosh! **Oh** my gosh! We gotta' get to the hospital!" He put his hand on Keely's back and helped her stand up more and lean against him.

On the aisle next to them, a lady who appeared to be in her fifties was shopping and listening to their decision making about the pillow. When she heard Keely say her water had broke, the lady wandered down the aisle they were on, thinking it was a joke, pushing a shopping cart and gazing at a list in her hand. She looked up and saw Phil, panicking, and Keely, clutching her stomach, and approached them. "Hi. I'm Molly Wallace! Is everything ok?" she asked, flicking her eyes back and forth from Phil to Keely.

"Uh, not quite. My wife here just went into labor, and we need to get to the hospital."

"Well," Molly started, "I can't take you- my husband's not picking me up for another forty-five minutes. But let me go to the front of the store and find someone who's leaving that can take you!"

"Thanks, Molly. And can you get the manager while you're there?" Phil yelled down the aisle while Molly hurried off.

Then, Phil turned to Keely, who was leaning on him. "Keels, are you doing ok? You think we need to call an ambulance?"

Keely didn't say anything for a few seconds. And, when she did talk, it was mostly a whimper. "Yeah, I'm ok Phil. Could you try to hurry, though?"

Phil and Keely remained standing there for a couple minutes, anxiously awaiting Molly to come back. Keely was leaning with her right side against Phil, her left hand wrapped around her stomach, while her right clutched Phil's hand tightly. The pillows had been forgotten, they were strewn across the speckled tile floor of the store. Keely was pale and was trying hard to take normal breaths. Phil was holding on to Keely tightly, supporting her.

Molly finally got back, manager in tow. She was a little breathless, and her cheeks were flushed, but she still managed to get her message across. "There's a car out front. Navy blue, Jeep Grand Cherokee. Go get 'em."

She then clapped Phil on the back, and stepped to the side, allowing Phil and Keely to pass. That's when the manager stepped up. He appeared to be in his thirties or so, with a well-kept head of hair and a muscular appearance. He nodded to Phil, who helped Keely turn around so Phil was on her left and the manager was on her right. Then, he mumbled "one, two three!" and they lifted Keely up, so she looked like she was sitting in a chair off the ground. "Let's go!" Phil said, and the headed to the front of the store.

When they got there, they saw the blue Jeep Grand Cherokee, parked right out front like Molly said. A lady got out and opened the passenger door for them and they quickly loaded Keely into the seat. Phil reclined it a little, then stretched the seatbelt around her belly and buckled her in.

The lady shut the door gently, and then opened the back door for Phil to climb in. A car seat was strapped into the middle seat of the car, and a two-year-old little boy was peeking out, Cheerios and sippy cup in hand. He laughed and threw a handful of Cheerios when he saw Phil start to climb in. Phil stuck one foot in the car and heard a dry crunch under his shoe. He looked down to see Cheerios **covering** the black-grey speckled carpet, to the point where the carpet was almost unrecognizable. However, Phil just ignored it and buckled up, closing the door behind him.

The lady bustled around to the driver's seat, hopped in, then started the car and drove away. They had only made it a short distance down the road when the lady slammed on the brakes, causing Phil to lean forward against Keely's seat and causing her to groan loudly and grip the armrest next to her.

"Sorry about that," the lady started to say. "Oh, by the way, the name's Charlene. This here's Gracen," she said, removing her hand from the steering wheel to point to the kid next to Phil. "We were expecting a girl, who would have been Grace, but when all was said and done, we ended up with this rascal." Charlene paused and looked over at Keely. "You know if yours is a boy or girl?"

Keely groaned again and started taking short, quick breaths. Phil reached his hands around the headrest for her seat and rubbed her shoulders, trying to relax her. He then stuck his head up between the front two seats and told Charlene "It's a girl."

Suddenly, Phil felt a whack in the back of his head. He turned around to see Gracen pelting him with board books. His hands immediately moved away from Keely's shoulders and went to cover his face, in attempt for protection. Gracen just continued to pelt him and started laughing. Charlene turned around in her seat, while still driving, and said to Gracen, "You mister. You cut it out!" She continued to scold him until Keely said, in a pained voice, "Stoplight." However, Charlene didn't hear her. She tried again, much louder this time, "**STOPLIGHT!"** And again, Charlene stomped on the brake, sending all of the passengers in the car flying forward.

The hospital became visible just a few minutes later, and Phil secretly pumped his fists in the air from the back seat. They hurriedly parked in front of the emergency room, then Phil got out fast and opened Keely's door to help her. A few nurses waiting just inside the door saw Phil helping Keely out of the car and came out pushing a wheelchair. When Keely saw it, she let out a breath, and said "Thank the Lord!" then sat down.

Phil got behind her and wheeled her in and up to the desk. Charlene and Gracen followed. Phil explained to the receptionist that Keely had gone into labor in the store, and they needed a room—fast. While the receptionist was checking out the possibilities, Phil turned to Charlene and said "Thank you so much. We really appreciate it."

"No problem," she returned warmly, "just glad we could help! Good luck with your little girl."

"Thanks." Suddenly Keely groaned from the wheelchair and gripped the sides. The receptionist stood up, peeked over the desk, said loudly "Oh, my!" then typed something else on the computer.

"Ok, I need you to wheel her right over there," the receptionist said, pointing to a couch, "and we'll be with you as soon as we possibly can."

"No! This baby is coming, and it's coming fast. We need a room and a doctor **NOW!**" Keely had stood up from the wheel chair and pounded her fist on the desk, then stared the receptionist down.

"Let me check and see if there's anymore availabilities." The receptionist typed something else in the computer, then laughed a fake laugh, clapped her hands together and said "Oh my! Looks like something **is** available! Donna, take these two to room 224, please."

A tall, thin, blonde nurse took off down the hallway, and Phil pushed Keely behind her. They made it to the room, got Keely changed into a gown and on the bed, gave her an IV, and then the doctor came in. She was brunette and average height. Keely was lying in the bed, propped up on a few pillows, and Phil was sitting on the edge, holding her right hand in his with is left arm around her. The doctor came over to the bed, on the opposite side of Phil, and placed her hands on the side rail of the bed.

"Hey Keely," she started, "I'm Erin Haywood, and I'm going to be delivering your baby tonight. You're looking good so far, we have to wait until you progress a little more before we have you push." Keely nodded, then grabbed Phil's hand and held on tight as another contraction passed.

When Keely's contraction was over and she was lying in the bed semi-calmly, Phil let go of her hand, despite all of her protests. She looked up at him, clearly confused, and he told her "Keely, I have call your mom, my family and Owen and Via." She nodded, then he slipped off the edge of the bed and stood up. Upon seeing his cell phone had no batteries, he excused himself into the hallway and went to find a pay phone.

"Hey, Owen? It's Phil. I know this is going to sound so familiar, but Keely and I can't make dinner. I know we were supposed to meet you two hours ago, but she's in labor. We're at the hospital. You're welcome to come, we'll be here! Ha-ha." Phil said, not pausing for breath until the end.

"Dude, be there in like ten. Bye." Then, Owen yelled up the stairs to Via, explained what was going on, and ran outside to start the car. Benjamin and Brenna were at Via's parents house for the night, so Via just ran out the door and hopped in the car, then they drove off towards the hospital.

Phil called Mandy Teslow next. She wasn't home, so he left her a quick message. "Hey Mandy, it's Phil. It's time! Keels and I are at the hospital, call her cell when you get this. Well, call mine and leave a message, and I'll try to charge it. Or just come. Room 224. See you here!"

Then, lastly, he called his parents. Luckily, they were home and his mom picked up the phone. "Hello, Hello, Hello, This is Barbara!" she said.

"Hey mom, it's Phil."

"Hey Honey! How's Keely doing? Is she counting until the baby's due date yet?"

"Uh, yeah mom, she definitely is. And, well, the countdown's at zero right now, because she's in labor."

**MEANWHILE IN KEELY'S ROOM**

Doctor Haywood was bustling around, hooking Keely up to machines and monitoring her contractions when Owen and Via burst through the door. Via came up to the left side of the bed and rubbed Keely's arm, while Owen went around to the right. Suddenly, Keely felt the first big contraction, grabbed Owen's hand, and squeezed the living daylights out of it. She screamed, and when Owen felt what was happening to his hand, he screamed too. When the contraction passed and Keely leaned back on the pillow, now sweating profusely, Owen looked down at his hand and was shocked at how red it was. "Keely Diffy, WHAT did you do that for?" he asked, shaking his hand.

Suddenly, Keely was almost sitting up again, and screaming as another contraction passed. "This," she breathed as she squeezed his hand, "is for all the CRAP you put me through in high school!"

Then, Phil breezed through the door, and grabbed the hand Owen was holding. "You two can go into the hall," Phil told them. "My parents are there, Pim and Rich are there, and Mandy's on the way—she just got the message."

"Be careful man," Owen whispered to Phil as he headed towards the door, "She's got a death grip. It's like a python on a prey." Then, Owen clapped Phil on the back, went to the other side of the bed and wrapped his arm around Via, then headed out of the room.

Just then, the doctor breezed back in. No one had even noticed she had left, but she was back again, and checking the results on a monitor next to Keely. Keely had another contraction, but this time she reached up and wrapped her arms around Phil's neck, hugging him tightly. When it was over, Phil turned to Dr. Haywood and asked "can't you give her some medicine?"

He looked down at Keely who was nodding. However, Dr. Haywood told him "Sorry, Phil. She's too far along. That normally is a window we can jump through with pregnant women, but that window has closed."

Keely piped up from the bed, "CLOSED? What? Open the window!" Then, turning to Phil, she said, "Phil, break open the window!"

Keely was in the bed whimpering, between contractions, when Dr. Haywood patted her hand, turned to her, and said "Ok, girl. You ready to push?"

Keely silently nodded, and Phil resumed his position standing next to her, holding her hand. The doctor set everything up, then looked at Phil, nodded her head, and said plainly "Phil, count to ten."

The number ten couldn't come fast enough for Keely. She collapsed back onto the bed, breathing hard and drenched in sweat. "Here we go!" Dr. Haywood called, and they did it again.

Quite a few pushes later, Keely was tired out. "Come on, Keels. One more push. That's all we need." Phil was holding both of her hands now, gazing into her eyes, encouraging her. "Come on. You got to push. You can do it. One more push and we can meet our baby!"

"Yeah. I really want to meet our baby."

Phil turned to the Dr. Haywood and nodded. Then he started counting. "One… two… three… four… five…"

Keely was screaming by five. She was ready to have this baby out of her.

"Six…seven… eight…"

When Phil got to count eight, a baby's cries filled the room. Keely was crying too, and Phil had a hard time counting "nine…ten…" because he was getting misty-eyed also.

"It's a girl! The baby's a girl!" Dr. Haywood yelled. Phil went to the base of the bed where the Doctor was and cut the umbilical cord. The baby was then placed on Keely's chest, still crying.

Phil moved to where Keely was in the bed, holding the baby, and sat down on the edge then wrapped his left arm around her. Nurse Donna came and took the baby away to clean her up. Phil and Keely were both crying tears of joy as Keely leaned up towards Phil and kissed him on the lips. He leaned down, giving her better access, and they continued to kiss until Phil pulled away and whispered in her ear "Keely, we're a family!" this had her crying all over again. Phil was crying too when Donna brought the baby back over and handed her to Phil. They were just so happy.

Keely was sure that the last nine months of discomfort had definitely paid off to get to look at their baby now. Phil cradled the baby in his right arm and lowered her down so she was in Keely's lap also. Keely pulled her knees up to her chest, so the baby was cradled between her and Phil.

Dr. Haywood was cleaning up the sheets at the end of the bed and unhooking Keely from monitors while Donna was filling out the birth certificate. "**Date of Birth**: April 17th. **Time of Birth**: 1:19 am. **Legal Parents**: Keely Teslow Diffy and Phillip Lloyd Diffy. **Height**: 21 inches. She's a perfect size. **Weight: **Seven pounds, nine ounces. That's also just fine! Ok, **Name:**" she said, then looked up at Phil and Keely for a name.

Phil looked at Keely and wiped a tear that was falling down her cheek. "Tell her the name, Keels." He said, then removed his hand from her cheek in order to wipe a tear off his own.

"Her name, her name is Mackayla. Mackayla Danielle Diffy."

**TADA! We have a baby:) Thank you so much for all of your wonderful reviews—this story has potential to break 100:) WOO HOO:) Keep 'em coming y'all!**

**The car ride from the store to the hospital is actually a true story-- when i was seven and mymom was pregnant with my sister we had to ride with some lady with a junky car and a two year old who pelted me with books. But, we don't know her name, so i had to make something up. :) It was pretty funny!**

**Sorry if there's mistakes... i just skimmed it.**

**I think I might do one more chapter to close everything up, or should I just stop right here? Please let me know what you think:) **

**Happy New Year's EVE! **

** 3 be234therz**


	12. The Grande Finale

**Sadly, very sadly, the time has come for this story to end. I actually am a little sad about it—that's why it's taken me so long to write this chapter… I don't want to end it. I can tell this one will be short, mainly just tying up loose ends. Thanks to ALL of my WONDERFUL REVIEWERS… this story has received 109 reviews… more than I ever thought it would. I have a few ideas, but they're going to take some time… mainly because I don't have anytime to give them for the next few weeks, so they won't go anywhere. But, I'll work on them as much as I everly can. (That's what Eloise says…my sister has been watching that movie NON-STOP! Ahh!)

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The door to their room was opened, and out filed the doctor, looking much more tired than earlier, followed by two nurses pushing carts filled with various equipment and blankets and such. Once they were out of the way, Phil came out into the hall, looked into the waiting room and beckoned for Barbara, Lloyd, Mandy, Pim and Rich to follow.

First came Barbara and Lloyd, then Mandy. Rich was slumped over in his chair, sleeping, while Pim was elbowing him. But, it was almost two in the morning. Mandy picked up speed once she entered the room, rushing over to Keely's side and placing a hand on her cheek. She smiled, and then asked Keely "Hey Nugget, how are you feeling?"

Keely was sitting on the bed, propped up on a few pillows, holding Mackayla in her arms. She used one hand to wipe a few strands of hair out of her face, then told her mother "I'm doing well, Mom. This," she said, handing the baby to Mandy, "is Mackayla Danielle Diffy."

"Aww… Keely, honey, she's precious. " Mandy held Mackayla for a few minutes, before she woke up and began to cry. Mandy turned around and handed Mackayla to Phil, who was peering over Mandy's shoulder, watching his daughter sleep. When Phil took the baby, Keely pulled the covers of the bed up to her chest and reclined a bit more, closing her eyes.

Barbara then came up beside Phil and leaned down towards the baby, whispering "Awww" as she watched Mackayla wiggle around a little bit, then close her eyes.

Phil looked a Barbara, whispered softly "Here, you can hold her," then transferred Mackayla from his arms to Barbara's. Mackayla slept softly through all of this, not even stirring. Barbara looked up at Phil, smiled broadly, then whispered "What's her name, honey?"

Keely, who was still in the bed, half-asleep, sat up, rubbed her eyes then told Barbara "Her name's Mackayla Danielle Diffy."

Lloyd put his arm around Phil, gave him a quick hug, then pulled back and said "I'm sure you'll be a great dad, son."

Rich was awake by then, and they both came into the room where Barbara was holding the baby. Pim came up on one side of Barbara, Rich following shortly behind, and smiled. Barbara held out baby Mackayla and Pim took her gently and cradled her in her arms.

Pim, still holding Mackayla, lowered herself down until she was sitting on the edge of the bed Keely was in. Rich quickly pulled up a chair and leaned over next to Pim so he could see Mackayla.

"Pim, Keely and I have a question for you and Rich too." Phil started. "We'd like you two to be Mackayla's god parents."

Pim looked at Rich, who nodded, then back at Phil and said slowly "I think we'd like that. Yes, we'd like that very much."

The quiet moment was interrupted by Mandy groaning a loud yawn, then looking at her watch and saying "My, my! It's almost three in the morning!"

Barbara then turned to Lloyd, and said "Honey, we'd better get going. You have early shift at the hardware store." He nodded his head in agreement. Barbara headed over to the bed where Keely still was, hugged her warmly, then sat down on the edge of the bed facing her and said sweetly, "Keely, honey. You and Phil will make wonderful parents. She's so lucky to have you two for a mom and dad." Barbara then leaned over towards Keely, hugged her, then stood up to leave.

Lloyd came up next to Keely after Barbara, patted her hand and said "She's beautiful, Keely. I know that you and Phil will be great parents." Then, he kissed her on the cheek and followed Barbara to the door.

They headed out the door, and Barbara called over her shoulder, "We'll be back by in the morning!"

Next, Mandy came up next to Keely and hugged her repeatedly, not really wanting to leave the room. Finally, Keely said "Ok Mom, you know you'll be by here in less than twelve hours." So, she hugged Keely one last time, hugged Phil, who was sitting in a chair next to the bed, then headed out of the room.

At that point, Mackayla started crying, so Pim and Rich reluctantly handed her back over to Keely. Keely rocked her, Phil rocked her, Keely changed her diaper, and they tried everything. Finally, Keely snapped her fingers and said "She's hungry!"

Phil and Keely both looked up at Pim and Rich, signaling it was time for them to leave. Pim sat there and stared back at them, then realized it **was** time for them to go, partly because it was after three in the morning.

Just a little while later, Mackayla had been fed and burped, and had just fallen asleep in Phil's arms. Keely took her from him, and scooted over on the bed, then patted the space next to her, telling Phil to get on. He got on the bed and she snuggled up against him with her back against his chest and his arms around hers, still holding Mackayla.

Phil leaned his head down so his mouth was right next to her ear, then whispered softly to Keely, "She's gorgeous. Just like her mother."

Keely chuckled quietly, so she wouldn't wake Mackayla, and then Phil continued, "I'm so glad I waited."

Keely's face contorted up into a very confused look, then she asked Phil "Waited for what?"

"Those shoes." He replied.

"Oh yeah," Keely said smiling.

Keely turned around, still holding Mackayla, and kissed Phil right on the lips. And he kissed her back, with one arm wrapped around her, the other cradling their daughter, he thought about how thankful he was for her, his wife, his daughter Mackayla, and, of course, that last pair.

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**I know the ending was a little sappy. I'm so sad it's over, though :( Oh, well. On to greener pastures:) I have a one-shot all planned out, so expect that ASAP! And, sorry it took me so long to post this chapter—I wrote it a week ago, I just forgot to write the last paragraph and post it. Then, all of a sudden it was today:) haha. PLEASE REVIEW:)**


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